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Photo-a-day 293: Granada Studios

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I came across the former entrance to the Granada Studios Tour today, which has (in an act that looks a lot like corporate vandalism) been painted a single block of colour and had ITV’s uninspired corporate logo slapped on the front.

It’s a sad sight. I visited the Granada Studios Tour a few times in my childhood – I have particularly strong memories of visiting with school when the whole complex was rented out for the whole school in celebration of the principal’s significant birthday.

The Tour closed abruptly in 1999, one of the casualties of ITV’s financial rationalisation after the collapse of ITV Digital. There’s talk of the Museum of Science and Industry taking over the complex when Granada vacates it next year, though there remains a real threat of the land being sold and this keystone site in our national cultural heritage being flattened – especially after English Heritage’s baffling decision not to grant the site Listed status.

So, in case it’s in a skip this time next year, here’s another picture of the complex’s iconic Granada TV logo:

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This post was filed under: Media, Photo-a-day 2012, .

Photo-a-day 292: Manchester Central

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It’s only today that I’ve realised that this is no longer called the GMEX, despite it being quite some time since it was renamed.

It was, of course, formerly Manchester Central station, until the disastrous Beeching axe left this as one of 2,000-or-so stations without a railway line. From 1969 to 1986, the building stood empty, but it was then developed into the GMEX, or Greater Manchester Exhibition Centre. Its facilities have been extended, refurbished, and revitalised several times since, and in 2007 it was renamed Manchester Central in homage to its history. It retains Britain’s second-widest unsupported iron arch after the one at St Pancras.

In the background is Britain’s tallest building outside of London, the 47-storey Beetham Tower. This dull name comes was given by the developer, which has also given its name to towers in Birmingham, Brighton, Liverpool and London, showing a quite considerable lack of imagination.

This post was filed under: Photo-a-day 2012, .




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